Dallas Residential Front Yard Fence Height Standards

In most residential districts within the City of Dallas, fences located in a required front yard may not exceed four feet in height above grade. Multifamily districts provide an exception allowing for a maximum height of six feet under specific conditions, while certain Form Districts further restrict fence height to three feet when located within a door yard.

Residential District Type	Maximum Fence Height in Required Front Yard	Key Conditions or Exceptions
Single Family, Duplex, & Agricultural	4 Feet	Measurement is taken from the top of the fence to the ground level [Section 51A-4.602].
Multifamily Districts	6 Feet	Allowed only if no lot in the blockface is zoned single family/duplex and gates are set back 20 feet [Section 51A-4.602].
Form Districts (Front Yard)	4 Feet	Applies to WMU, WR, and RTN districts [Section 51A-13.409].
Form Districts (Door Yard)	3 Feet	Restricts the area immediately adjacent to the building facade [Section 51A-13.305].
Non-Required Yards	9 Feet	Applies to any yard not specifically designated as a required front yard [Section 51A-4.602].

General Regulations for the City of Dallas

Under the City of Dallas Development Code, the general rule is that a person may not erect or maintain any fence in a required yard that exceeds nine feet in height above grade. However, the City of Dallas imposes more restrictive standards for "required front yards" to maintain neighborhood character and safety [Section 51A-4.602].

Specific Requirements for Single Family and Duplex Districts

In all City of Dallas residential districts except for multifamily areas, fences are strictly limited to four feet in height within the required front yard. Additionally, if a fence panel is located within five feet of the front lot line, it must have a surface area that is at least 50 percent open [Section 51A-4.602].

Multifamily District Exceptions

The City of Dallas allows a height increase to six feet for fences in the required front yards of multifamily districts, provided the following criteria are met:

No lot within the same blockface is zoned as a single family or duplex district.
Any gates intended for vehicular traffic must be set back at least 20 feet from the back of the street curb.
If the fence is within five feet of the front lot line, the fence panel must be at least 50 percent open [Section 51A-4.602].

Form District and Special Design Standards

For properties located within City of Dallas Form Districts (Article XIII), such as Walkable Urban Mixed Use (WMU) or Walkable Urban Residential (WR), specific "door yard" regulations apply.

Door Yard Fences: Fences in a door yard (the area between the sidewalk and the building facade) are restricted to a maximum of three feet in height [Section 51A-13.305].
Front Yard Fences: General front yard fences in these districts are limited to four feet in height [Section 51A-13.409].

Measuring Fence Height in Dallas

The City of Dallas calculates fence height by measuring from the top of the fence to the level of the ground on both the inside and outside of the fence. The building official will use the greater of these two measurements to determine compliance. If the ground has been artificially altered (such as by adding fill material), the height of that altered grade is included in the total fence height calculation [Section 51A-4.602].

Prohibited Materials

Regardless of height, the City of Dallas prohibits certain materials for residential fencing, including:

Sheet metal, corrugated metal, or fiberglass panels.
Plywood.
Barbed wire and razor ribbon (except in Agricultural districts) [Section 51A-4.602].

Sections Cited

Section 51A-4.602. FENCE, SCREENING AND VISUAL OBSTRUCTION REGULATIONS.
Section 51A-13.305. BUILDING ELEMENTS.
Section 51A-13.409. PARKING SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS. (General standards for fences)
Section 51A-4.1107. DESIGN STANDARDS. (Mixed-Income Housing)